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So what’s in a typical American breakfast?
›› Occurs within two hours of waking, before 10 am.
Why yo ung people d breakf on’t eat a why ev st, and ery shouldone
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recent report from the Food Research and Action Center found that in 2012 more than 175,000 local low-income students got lunch at school, but only about 60,000 got breakfast. This puts us last in a nation where, on average, more than 50 percent of low income kids who get school lunch get school breakfast. This news is a two-fold tragedy. First, thousands of children may be starting the day hungry, and second, missing breakfast may be making them fatter. Research shows that eating in the morning is a key component to obesity and diabetes prevention.
Young People and Breakfast
More and more, American breakfast is characterized by an empty table, especially among young people. Almost a third of adolescents skip breakfast on a daily basis, and most skip breakfast multiple times per week, studies show. Girls, overweight and obese people are more likely to skip breakfast than others. People who skip breakfast are more likely to participate in unsuccessful and unhealthy weight loss practices, researchers say. A recent article published in the American
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HEALTHY IDAHO SEPTEMBER 2013
›› Energy content provides about 20-35 percent of daily needs. ›› Breakfast food has changed significantly over the years, from bacon, eggs and toast to Readyto-Eat Cereals and breads. This means Americans switched from high fat, high protein breakfasts to high fat, high carbohydrate breakfasts.
at an inconvenient time, which means that you will be eating on the run. That usually translates to packaged foods with preservatives, fast food and other dietary disasters that make losing weight more difficult.
Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found “evidence documenting the strong protective effect of breakfast consumption to prevent and/or treat obesity/type 2 diabetes and promote overall health in young people.” That said, research also warns that breakfast is good only if you make it good. Don’t feel too proud of yourself if you walk out the door having scarfed Pop-Tarts and a glass of chocolate milk.
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fueled up with calories by eating consistenly helps you control your weight better. Roller coaster eating habits, such as skipping meals, can make weight harder to control.
Eat to Lose Weight
Some skip breakfast because they don’t have a choice. Others make the skip part of their diet, or just don’t feel like eating in the morning. Some just don’t feel like time permits. For dieters, it isn’t often that our weight loss plan revolves around eating when we don’t feel like it, but in the case of breakfast, it may be just what you need to do. For those seeking a drop in weight, foregoing breakfast isn’t the way to go. Here’s why:
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Breakfast eaters avoid snacking so frequently: When you don’t eat
breakfast, hunger is bound to strike
Eating breakfast makes body-weight management easier: Keeping your body
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Eating breakfast causes physiological changes in satiety (how full you feel): In studies comparing breakfast skippers and breakfast eaters, breakfast skippers were shown to actually have a greater daily energy intake, even though they missed out on calories in the morning.
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Eating breakfast generally gives you a higher quality diet: Starting the day with toast, eggs and orange juice gives you the vitamins, minerals and energy you need to successfully tackle your morning’s endeavors.
Sources: Medscape.com, Food Research and Action Center
Healthy-Idaho.com